Analysis of Factors Influencing Air Quality in Different Periods during COVID-19: A Case Study of Tangshan, China

Wen-Lu Wu, Chun-Yan Shan (), Jing Liu, Jing-Lin Zhao and Jin-Yun Long
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Wen-Lu Wu: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Chun-Yan Shan: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Jing Liu: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Jing-Lin Zhao: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Jin-Yun Long: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the main factors influencing air quality in Tangshan during COVID-19, covering three different periods: the COVID-19 period, the Level I response period, and the Spring Festival period. Comparative analysis and the difference-in-differences (DID) method were used to explore differences in air quality between different stages of the epidemic and different years. During the COVID-19 period, the air quality index (AQI) and the concentrations of six conventional air pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , NO 2 , CO, and O 3 -8h) decreased significantly compared to 2017–2019. For the Level I response period, the reduction in AQI caused by COVID-19 control measures were 29.07%, 31.43%, and 20.04% in February, March, and April of 2020, respectively. During the Spring Festival, the concentrations of the six pollutants were significantly higher than those in 2019 and 2021, which may be related to heavy pollution events caused by unfavorable meteorological conditions and regional transport. As for the further improvement in air quality, it is necessary to take strict measures to prevent and control air pollution while paying attention to meteorological factors.

Keywords: air quality; COVID-19; anthropogenic factors; meteorological factors; difference-in-differences analysis; backward trajectory cluster (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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